


Always

by can_i_slytherin



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Shane Madej, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear, Idiots in Love, Kissing, M/M, Panic Attacks, Protective Shane Madej, Ryan Bergara Loves Shane Madej, Scared Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej Being an Idiot, Shane Madej Loves Ryan Bergara, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26128000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/can_i_slytherin/pseuds/can_i_slytherin
Summary: Ryan and Shane visit Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. Some maybe-supernatural happenings draw our two boys together.
Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 18
Kudos: 148





	Always

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, this is my first work for this ship, so it might be a little ooc. But, I had an idea and ran with it. 
> 
> Please enjoy though!

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum opened its doors to patients in 1864, but reached its peak during the 1950s with the building housing over 2,400 patients, despite it having been designed to hold only 250. The severe overcrowding of the Asylum led to worsening conditions which resulted in patients reacting in increasingly violent ways- from starting fires to attacking staff members. The Asylum closed its doors in 1994 and some patients never left. It is said that their disgruntled souls linger in the corridors, seeking revenge for the wrongdoings done against them. 

Naturally, the Buzzfeed Unsolved Team had set up shop within its walls to investigate the supernatural happenings rumoured to occur within the Asylum. 

Ryan, as normal, felt anxious, but that was more pre-show jitters than anything else. But, as they drew closer to the Asylum, Ryan's anxiety seemed to skyrocket, mind swirling with thoughts of ghostly encounters. His hands trembled and his knee was in a constant state of motion, the heel of his shoe tapping relentlessly against the floor beneath him. 

"Ryan," Shane hissed, voice low so as to not arouse suspicion from the other members of their crew. "You need to calm down." 

The tan-skinned man seemed to grow more nervous at the statement, the speed of his tremors increasing briefly. "I am calm." 

Shane laid a hand on his knee, pressing down gently to force the other man to still. "You're not," he urged. "Just breathe, you're going to be fine." 

Ryan drew in an exaggerated breath, as if proving a point, but Shane simply arched an unimpressed eyebrow at him, chuckling when he gave a sheepish grin. 

Shane kept his hand on Ryan's knee for the remainder of the journey, squeezing it softly when the smaller man got too jumpy as a reminder for him to stay calm. 

Before long, they were pulling up to the entrance for the Asylum and, as they exited the car, Ryan took a moment to admire the exterior of the building. 

The building was old, even without prior knowledge of the history of the Asylum, it could be seen in the blackened, dirty bricks. The front stretched out for miles, it seemed, lined with endless windows, twinkling innocently in the late-evening moonlight like a thousand-eyed monster. The roof was slate-grey, almost disappearing against the backdrop of the dark-blue sky and, even in the near-darkness, the spire, brilliant white and accented with green, standing in the dead centre of the roof, stuck out like a sore thumb, drawing Ryan’s eye like a moth to a flame. 

Supernatural happenings and gory history aside, the building was stunning, filled with so much unique architectural beauty that Ryan had to pause for a moment to admire the craftsmanship. Out of the many locations that they had visited, this had to be one of the prettiest. 

“It’s cool-looking, right?” Shane whispered in his ear as he came to stand beside Ryan. 

Ryan snorted and rolled his eyes, pulling his bag further onto his shoulder. “Ever the poet, I see.” 

“What? Do you want me to dedicate a sonnet to it or something?” Shane shook his head in disapproval and pulled ahead, moving towards the steps leading to the main doors. Ryan nearly tripped over his shoelaces in his haste to follow. 

“Oh, dear Asylum!” Shane yelled, as if reciting a dramatic verse from one of Shakespeare’s works. “Let me sleep within your walls whilst Ryan cries some!” 

The shorter man giggled, biting down on his knuckles to muffle it through fear of encouraging Shane even further, and fondly shook his head as Shane skipped across the gravel path, mumbling more lines from his improvised poem. 

Ryan followed him, slowly catching up despite his much shorter strides, and fell into step beside the taller man, digging him in the ribs when he mimicked Ryan’s hurried footfalls. 

“Hey there!” Their Tour Guide appeared from behind them and Ryan gave a muted gasp, muscles going rigid with surprise. “Ooh, sorry,” she cried when she noticed Ryan’s shock, “didn’t mean to scare ya!”

“It’s okay,” Shane spoke up, a teasing lilt to his voice, “a strong breeze is enough to scare my little man.” 

Ryan guffawed in disbelief and shoved Shane away from his, crossing his arms over his chest as he pouted. “Hate you,” he mumbled, glancing down at his shoes. 

Shane gave a wounded noise and wrapped his arms around Ryan’s shoulders, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. “No, you don’t! You love me!” 

Ryan punched him in the chest, shoving his arms away and gently kicking his ankle for good measure. “After that, I certainly don’t.”

TJ, their director, rolled his eyes and caught Ryan’s gaze, making a vague motion for them to pick things up. The tan-skinned man nudged his pale counterpart in the ribs again and nodded towards the large hallway ahead of them, a silent request for them to move on. Shane nodded and took a long, exaggerated stride forward, as if to show off that he had long legs, Ryan took two smaller steps to catch up with him, glaring half-heartedly when they fell into step beside each other. 

The Tour Guide led them through the eerily empty halls, running through the brief paranormal and earthly history of the Asylum and giving them a quick rundown of the most active parts of the building before she disappeared into the darkness, leaving them to their own devices. 

“You have to admit,” Ryan murmured, shivering slightly when a strong gust of wind blew past him, “hauntings aside, this place is absolutely creepy.”

“Well, of course it is,” Shane agreed. “People still died here, man.” 

“Thank you, Shane,” the shorter man drawled sarcastically, “for that wonderful piece of insightful information.” 

Shane grinned, completely ignoring Ryan’s sardonic tone. “You’re welcome,” he chirped, wandering aimlessly into a nearby room. “We should set up in here,” he called back out to the hallway, “it’s very  _ spooky _ .” 

Ryan rolled his eyes and stepped in through the door, snorting when his gaze fell on Shane, pressed into a corner at the far side of the room, shining a light under his chin to illuminate nothing but his face. 

“You’re an idiot,” he hissed, trying to mask his fear with amusement, but there was still an edge of terror that bled into his voice. 

Shane grinned, a soft expression written across his face as he crossed the room again, settling into a chair beside Ryan, man-spreading far enough that his knee touched Ryan’s. The smaller man relished in the barely-there contact, focusing on the warmth that radiated through Shane’s jeans rather than the cold from the room that seeped into his bones. 

“Okay, if there’s anyone in here with us, could you please give us a sign? Maybe knock or move something?” Ryan spoke out into the quiet room, pausing for a second to listen for a reply and went rigid when a creak sounded from a few feet behind them. 

He whirled around in his seat, eyes wide and chest heaving. “H-Hello?” He stammered. “Is s-someone there?” 

There was another creak, closer this time, and Ryan’s heart rate skyrocketed before he pitched himself out of his chair, spinning on his feet and pointing his flashlight towards the direction of the noises. 

“Fuck,” he panted, throat and chest feeling tight. “ _ Jesus _ .”

“Ghosts?!” Shane yelled, in his typical joking, but distracting fashion, as he noticed the wide-eyed frightened expression on his co-host’s face. “Are you there, ghosts?!” He turned in his seat, much like Ryan had, and pointed his flashlight into the darkness. “Come feel me up! Pull my hair! Shove me off my chair! I want- no! I  _ dare  _ you!” 

“Shane!” Ryan spluttered through laughter,hunching over to rest his hands on his knees and draw in a few deep breaths before he gently kicked Shane’s shin. “Why have you gotta say stuff like that?!” 

“What?” He replied, feigning innocence. “I’m just trying to get you evidence!” 

“But, do you have to taunt them so much?” Shane gave him a look as if to say  _ uh, yeah _ and Ryan rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that evening. “You’re going to get attacked one of these days.”

“Good!” He announced, turning to talk to the room as a whole. “I welcome it! You cannot harm me, ghosts, in fact, I don’t think you’re even able to. I think you’re too weak! Yes, ghosts! I mock you! Take that!” 

“I hate you so much,” Ryan wheezed, burying his head in his hands and shaking his head, though Shane could hear the smile in his voice. 

He rose from his seat, walking over to Ryan, and pulled him into a gentle, one-armed hug. “Come on, little guy, let’s go,” he raised his voice slightly as he continued, his taunting, joking tone returning. “The ghosts in here obviously don’t want to talk to us!” 

Ryan snorted and shoved Shane through the doorway, back into the hallway. “Get out, idiot.” 

“I take offense to that,” Shane murmured, feigning indignance. 

“Shut up,” the smaller man hissed, grinning when Shane pouted at him. 

  
  
  
  


The night was coming to an end and they had investigated most of the Asylum, Ryan gaining a few pieces of evidence that Shane would most likely pick apart at the editorial stage, but it was all the same. 

“Okay, so this here is supposedly the most active part of the entire Asylum,” Ryan explained as he pushed his way into a room, the charred walls standing out even in the darkness. “In the 60s, a few years after the peak of the Asylum, a few patients rioted against poor living conditions and trapped three nurses and a fellow patient in here before setting them alight.” 

Shane let out a strangled noise, almost like he was trying to hold back a laugh, and he bit into his knuckles, staring at Ryan with tear-filled eyes. “ _ Ryan _ ,” he wheezed. 

“Don’t,” Ryan smirked, struggling to keep the laugh from his voice. “Just don’t.” 

“ _ Ryan! _ ” He repeated, a grin spreading across his face and eyes shining brighter in the low torchlight. 

“No,” Ryan replied firmly, shaking his head. “I’m not listening to you,” he swiftly moved on, carrying on with his story. “So, there was a huge fire in here, taking the lives of all three nurses and the female patient. People have reported to feel rising temperatures and hands grabbing at their wrists- almost like people asking for help.” 

“Why does no one help the ghosts?!” Shane shrieked, thoroughly affronted. 

Ryan snorted and rolled his eyes. “Perhaps because they can’t.” 

Shane puffed out his chest, placing his hands on his hips in a mock-superhero pose. “I’d find a way.” 

Ryan chuckled softly and gently patted the centre of his chest. “Sure you would,” he muttered, a teasing grin spreading across his face. “But, ghosts aren’t real, right?” 

The taller man recoiled and shook his head, smiling widely. “Of course they’re not.” 

Ryan chuckled again, fondly shaking his head. “Of course,” there was a beat of silence for a moment before the tan-skinned man spoke up again. “So, we’re going to spend about two minutes-” 

“Two minutes?!” Shane screeched, shaking his head furiously. “Not good enough, Bergara. Do better.” 

“Five?” Ryan suggested, ignoring the way that his heart leapt into his throat at the idea. 

Shane grinned mischievously, so wide that Ryan was briefly reminded of the Joker, and he had a moment where he wondered if he should worry about the taller man, but quickly brushed it away. 

“Brilliant,” Shane whispered, steepling his fingers like a mad scientist. 

“I hate you so much,” Ryan grunted, ignoring the shiver that ran down his spine at what was to come. He paused for a moment to catch his breath and spoke up again. “We’re going to spend five minutes in here and see if we can catch any activity on the cameras. I’ll use the spirit box,” at the mention of the dastardly device, Shane grunted and rolled his eyes in disapproval. Ryan ignored him and continued. “You can just sit there, if you like, and enjoy the isolation.” 

Shane grinned, a touch the wrong side of manic, and nodded. “I shall!” 

Without another word, Shane launched himself into the room, quite spacious for an asylum, and plonked himself down on the charred floor, ignoring the fact that his jeans would most likely be covered in soot when he stood again. 

“Your five minutes begins,” Ryan paused a moment and a soft beep resounded through the quiet air, “now.”

“So, hey ghosts, I don’t actually believe in ghosts,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice low so as to avoid detection by Ryan, “but, my buddy out there does and he really wants to prove that you exist, so now would be a real good time to claw my eyes out or set me on fire or something.” 

Shane fell silent, staring around the low-lit room, and wondered how his life had come to this. But, as he thought about it, he realised that he was a sucker for a pretty face, dark eyes and a blinding smile. His heart warmed at the thought of Ryan, wide-eyed and nervous as he approached Shane about starting the Unsolved series with him. The blindingly warm grin that had spread across his face at Shane’s agreement was enough to make the shitty locations and dreadful hotels worth it. As long as it got Ryan to smile, Shane would do anything. 

“Okay, big guy,” Ryan called from outside the room, his nerves clear in the waver of his voice, “your five minutes is up.” 

Shane rose to his feet, half-heartedly dusting himself off, and exited the room, throwing a warm, teasing smile at Ryan. “Man, some of the stuff that I saw in there,” he teased, “you oughta be careful.” 

Ryan scowled. “Have I told you that I hate you?”

Shane laughed loudly, the sound ricocheting off the walls. “Quite a few times this evening, actually.” 

“I’ll tell you again,” Ryan grouched, shuffling slowly towards the doorway as if every step was hard to take. Knowing Ryan, it probably was. 

“You don’t have to, I remember,” the taller man muttered and flashed Ryan a bright grin as he slipped into the darkness. “Good luck, little guy.” 

Ryan settled himself on the floor, much like Shane had a few moments earlier, and placed the spirit box in front of his feet. “So, I’m going to switch this device on and you should be able to use it to talk to me, if you want. It will be loud though, just warning you,” he reached down and switched the spirit box on, wincing at the loud static that filled the once silent room. “So, I’m Ryan, can you say my name back to me?” 

_ Hi, Ry-an _

The man froze, fingers tightening around the hem of his t-shirt. “H-Hi,” he stammered, his entire body shaking with the force of his anxiety. “Wh-Who am I speaking to?” 

_ So-ie.  _

“Sophie?” Ryan questioned, seeking confirmation, and his eyes went wide before he gulped around the lump that formed in his throat. 

_ Y-s… here?  _

“Why am I here?” When he didn’t get a reply, he continued. “Well, I’m investigating this Asylum because it’s supposedly haunted.” 

_ Hau-ed? ...dead?  _

Ryan swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat, shaking his head and drawing in a deep breath to calm his racing heart and churning stomach. “I- yeah.” 

_ Ry-an? _

“That’s me, yeah,” Ryan gulped again, hating the shiver that ran down his spine at hearing his name from the ghost’s-  _ Sophie’s  _ mouth. 

_ Stay… me.  _

The tan-skinned man froze, fingers jumping against the hem of his shirt in time with his heart rate increasing. “I can’t.” 

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew through the room and the door slammed shut. Ryan screamed, tears welling in his eyes, and he shot to his feet, running for the door in his haste to leave. His hand curled around the door handle and he gave it a sharp tug, but it didn’t move.

He pounded on the door. “Shane!” He yelled, voice shaking and heart pounding against his chest, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. “Now’s not the time to fuck around, you asshole.” 

Shane, from the other side of the door, cocked his head in confusion and moved from his place next to TJ over to the door. “I’m not,” he muttered. “I haven’t been near the door, Teej can vouch for me.” 

“Shane, the door fucking won’t move,” Ryan mumbled, his voice muffled by the solid metal. 

“ _ Ryan _ ,” he muttered in exasperation and rolled his eyes. “Stop.” 

“Shane,” he cried, fear and desperation bleeding into his voice, “I’m being serious, you dick.” 

Shane’s heart dropped into the pit of his stomach and he scrambled to find the door handle, fingers curling around the cold metal before he gave a sharp shove. Nothing happened. He threw a pleading look over his shoulder at the crew and swallowed thickly. 

“Help.” 

TJ’s face dropped and he scrambled to find his keys. “I’ve got a crowbar in the car,” he mumbled, already running down the hall. Mark lowered his camera and turned it off, Shane copied the movement with his chest cam. 

“Ryan,” he called, keeping his voice perfectly steady, despite the fear that seized his heart. Even without the supposed supernatural, that room was a disaster waiting to happen with sharp things for Ryan to fall on and rotting floorboards. 

“Shane?” Ryan whimpered and there was a loud thud as the small man dropped to his knees in front of the door. 

“I’m here,” he soothed, pressing his ear against the door in hopes to hear Ryan better. “I’m right here. You’re going to be okay, the door’s just stuck, that’s all. Teej has gone to get a crowbar, he’ll be here soon and we’ll get you out.” 

“Fuck,” he breathed, “I’m scared.”

Shane bit back a snarky retort, knowing better than to tease the other man in such a time. “You don’t need to be scared,” he urged. “You’re perfectly safe. The door is just jammed, it’s pretty old, so it would make sense. There’s nothing to be scared about. You’ll be out in no time. As soon as Teej comes back with the crowbar, we’ll get you right out.” 

“Shane,” he cried, his head falling back against the door as he closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down whilst he took deep, stabilising breaths. “Are you still there?” 

“I’m still here,” came Shane’s muffled reply. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

Ryan let out a shuddering breath and nodded, even though the taller man couldn’t see him, but made the mistake of opening eyes. In the corner of the room, there was a dark figure, vaguely female-shaped, and it was standing stock-still, facing him almost as if it were looking at him. 

It felt like his heart stopped. He froze, fingers tingling as a wave of anxiety rushed through him, and he tightened his grip on his t-shirt. “Sh-Shane?” He mumbled, feeling too scared to do much more than whisper. 

Then, suddenly, it started to move towards him with determined strides and his fight-or-flight response kicked in, sending him flying into the wall behind the door. He screamed, arms coming up to cradle his head as he made a concerted effort to keep his gaze away from the shadow-woman. 

There was a sharp knock on the door, followed by Shane’s voice, concerned and filled with fear. “Ryan?” 

“There’s something in here with me,” Ryan replied, voice tight and filled with emotion, and he refused to lift his head, both to catch the tears that had begun to fall and to hide himself. 

“It’s just your mind playing tricks on you,” Shane rationalised, ever the skeptic. “You’re scared and your mind is making you see things. You’re fine, Ry. I promise. We’re gonna get you out.” 

Ryan nodded, still fully aware that Shane couldn’t see him, but couldn’t bring himself to talk. There was a beat of silence and Ryan found a modicum of strength, pulling on it as he forced himself to lift his head. 

The shadow-woman was closer now, only a few feet away, and Ryan promptly burst into tears, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. “SHA-SHANE!!” He screamed, tears pouring down his cheeks and obscuring his voice, making it shake and hitch. 

Shane recoiled at the shout, heart seizing at the utter terror in Ryan’s voice. “I’m gonna kick the door down.” 

Mark made a noise of protest. “You’ll hurt yourself.” 

“I don’t give a fuck,” Shane growled, turning on Mark with a dark look. “Ryan is hurting and scared. He’s calling for  _ me _ , I cannot and will not stand here any longer while he’s trapped in there! I can’t fucking do it!” 

He turned back to the door, not bothering to wait for a response from Mark before he pressed himself against the door again, trying to make himself heard over the sounds of Ryan’s sobs of Shane’s name. 

“Ryan,” he cooed, keeping his voice soft and calm, despite his inner turmoil, and cleared his throat, raising his voice when the smaller man didn’t reply. “ _ Ryan _ .”

There was still no reply, other than the unrelenting chorus of his name, and Shane swallowed around the lump in his throat, unbidden thoughts of an injured Ryan springing to his head. Then, suddenly, a different thought broke through the haze of concern and Shane straightened up, determination filling him. 

There was one thing, without fail, that Ryan always responded to. It never failed to make the smaller man smile or laugh. It brightened his mood and gave him confidence; even if he’d never said it, Shane could see it in the way that the tension always seemed to bleed from his shoulders. 

“Baby,” Shane cooed, keeping his voice level and strong, hoping that Ryan could find comfort within the calm. “Baby, I need you to move.” 

“I can’t,” Ryan cried, voice sounding wrecked, and despite his heartbreak over Ryan’s fear, Shane’s heart warmed to hear him speak. “She’ll get me.” 

“She won’t,” Shane promised. “I’m right here, I’ll protect you. She won’t hurt you. I won’t let her, but, Baby, I need you to move. Please. I need to get to you, but I can’t do that if you’re in the way. You could get hurt and I don’t want that. So, Baby, please move. Please.” 

“I can’t move,” he croaked. 

“You can, baby, I promise,” he whispered. “You’re so strong, use those big muscles of yours and heave yourself outta the way.” 

Ryan gave a weak laugh, more a squeak than a full laugh, and Shane’s heart swelled at the sound, leaving him feeling breathless. He’d never realised how beautiful Ryan’s laugh could be. 

The smaller man followed Shane’s advice, planting his hands firmly on the floor and used his upper-body strength to  _ heave himself out of the way,  _ keeping his eyes squeezed shut the entire time. “I’m clear.” 

There was a loud bang, followed by the creaking of the hinges of the door and another louder bang. Ryan jumped, a soft scream falling from his lips, and whined at the warm hands that cradled his cheeks. 

“Baby,” Shane’s voice sounded in his ear and a sob of relief tumbled from his lips. “I’m here.” 

“Shane,” he sobbed, throwing himself into the taller man’s arms and burrowing himself in Shane’s chest before gripping tightly onto his shirt. 

“I’m here,” he soothed, wrapped his arm tightly around Ryan’s shoulders, keeping him close and contained. “You’re safe, I’m here. You’re safe now. I’m so proud of you for lasting as long as you did, you’re so brave. You’re amazing.”

“Shane,” he repeated, voice still as wrecked as it was a few moments ago. 

“Right here,” he dropped his head down and pressed a kiss into Ryan’s hair, lifting one hand up to card it through the dark locks. “I’m not going anywhere for awhile. I’m going to stay right here,” he paused for a moment before arranging Ryan into a position that he could stay in Shane’s arms whilst he stood up. 

“Shane,” Ryan whimpered, wrapping his legs around the taller man’s waist whilst moving to burrow his face in Shane’s neck. 

“Let’s get you outta here, little guy,” Shane mumbled, carrying Ryan out of the door and making sure to keep his head where it was pressed into his neck. 

He approached the team, Ryan hanging onto him like a koala, and fixed them with a hard stare. “We’re done for this evening.” 

No one dared argue and they began to pack away, watching as Shane disappeared down the corridor with Ryan quivering in his arms, little sobs of Shane’s name escaping his lips. 

  
  
  
  


Shane took the journey back to the hotel with Ryan sitting in his lap, curled up against him with his face hidden in his neck, and dared anyone to try to separate them. No one needed or wanted to. 

Back in Ryan’s hotel room, Shane laid the smaller man on the bed and smiled when he curled in on himself, snuggling into Shane’s flannel, which had been graciously given after Ryan had complained about being cold. 

He disappeared into the ensuite bathroom, soaking a washcloth in warm water before wandering back into the bedroom to clean Ryan's tear-soaked face. He gently wiped him down, cooing soft praises under his breath as he did, and smiled wider when Ryan leant into the touch. Shane threw the cloth in the vague direction of the bathroom and perched on the edge of the bed for a moment, brushing Ryan’s sweat-logged hair off his forehead. 

“We’re gonna get you a shower in the morning,” Shane whispered, ghosting his fingertips from Ryan’s temple to his jawline, softly cupping the chiseled bone. “For now, you’re gonna sleep, okay?” Ryan nodded, eyelids already drooping, and Shane chuckled softly. “Do you have pajamas?”

The smaller man shook his head. “Just a t-shirt and boxers.” 

“Okay, let’s get these jeans off then,” Shane murmured and turned away to give Ryan some decency while he stripped off the denim and climbed under the covers. “You okay now?” He questioned as he turned back, smiling warmly at Ryan’s sleepy expression. 

“Yeah, thanks,” he murmured, nervousness creeping into his voice again. 

“Hey,” Shane replied, voice strong as he sought out Ryan’s hand, giving it a small, comforting squeeze as he curled their fingers together, “you’re okay. You’re gonna get some good sleep and feel ten times better in the morning,” the taller man rose to his feet, letting his hand slip from Ryan’s and made the motion to walk away. “You get some sleep, I’m just next door if you need me.” 

A shaking hand wrapped around his wrist with a loose grip and Shane turned around to see Ryan knelt up on the bed, covers pooled by his knees, taking away any discretion that Ryan had. His eyes were wide, dark with fear and filled with tears, and his bottom lip quivered, cheeks bright red with heat. 

He tugged Shane back towards him and he went willingly, suddenly eye-level with the smaller man. “Ryan?” Shane whispered, confusion lining his voice. 

Ryan said nothing, just let his gaze flick briefly to Shane’s lips before he pitched himself forward, pressing their mouths together for a brief moment. 

Shane’s brain short-circuited at the first press of lips against his, warm and wet and slightly salty, and a shocked breath tumbled from his lips before he lifted his hands to cup Ryan’s cheeks. He stroked over his cheekbones with his thumbs, soothing him, but holding him close. 

Ryan whimpered at the contact and pulled Shane closer, letting out a small whine as he dropped his hands to Shane’s hips, trying to hold the taller man close even as he pulled away. 

“Stay,” he breathed, eyes heavy, though for an entirely different reason than tiredness. 

Shane stared down at him, his lips red and swollen, kiss-bitten and slick with spit, and felt a jolt in his chest at the knowledge that he had caused this. He’d made Ryan look so thoroughly wrecked, in a good way this time. 

“Always,” Shane mumbled back, his breath ghosting over Ryan’s lips for a moment before he pulled away to unbuckle his belt and take off his jeans. 

Ryan grinned and settled back under the covers, arranging himself so that Shane could slip in beside him. It wasn’t long before the bed dipped and Shane slipped under the covers, pressing himself against Ryan’s back. He tangled their legs together and threw an arm over his waist, pulling him flush against his chest and keeping him there with an iron grip. 

Ryan whimpered at the action, burrowing further into Shane’s embrace, and allowed his eyes to slip closed, grinning when Shane’s fingers wormed under his shirt, rubbing nonsense patterns into his abs. 

“Sleep now,” Shane whispered, voice low and calm. “I’m right here.” 

“I feel safe with you,” Ryan slurred, the beginnings of sleep bleeding into his voice. “Always have.” 

“Of course you are,” the pale-skinned man agreed, tightening his grip ever further and hooking his chin over Ryan’s shoulder. “Nothing can hurt you while I’m around; I won’t let it. You’re safe. I’m here. You can sleep.” 

“You’ll still be here when I wake?” Ryan mumbled, hints of insecurity coating his words. 

Shane huffed in amusement and dropped a kiss into Ryan’s hair. “Always.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave comments and kudos, they give me life.


End file.
